Articles by rockman

GeotechSearch.com Screenshot
Rockman's Ramblings

GeotechSearch.com – New Geotechnical Search Engine!

June 18, 2008 rockman Comments Off on GeotechSearch.com – New Geotechnical Search Engine!

Announcing a new sister site to GeoPrac, GeotechSearch.com – a geotechnical search engine! This search engine is powered by Google’s Custom Search with it’s own clean interface. Search queries only return results from sites that are hand picked by myself and other members of GeoPrac.net. So you don’t have to sift through results that aren’t relevant to geotechnical engineering, geological engineering and related disciplines.

GeotechSearch.com Screenshot 

The source of sites included in the GeotechSearch search engine come from the GeoLinks section of this site. Any GeoPrac.net member can contribute links (subject to approval) and they will then be included in the search engine results within a few days. So if you’re not a member, why not join GeoPrac.net? And then contribute a link to the GeoLinks section. I’m incredibly excited to really start tapping into the capabilities of GeoPrac as a true online COMMUNITY of "geo" practitioners for the benefit of all in our profession…the possibilities are endless!

[…]

Project Related

Update on Landmark Kansas City Bridge Project – kcICON

June 18, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Update on Landmark Kansas City Bridge Project – kcICON

Another nice post from Robert Thompson with Dan Brown and Associates (DBA) about the geotechnical work on the kcICON project. They are the geotechnical designers for a $245 million project that will involve a new cable-stayed bridge over the Missouri River in downtown Kansas City along the I-29/35 corridor. In his post, Robert gives an update on the status of the work including the borings and recent test shaft installation and testing as well as an update on the overall project. (Rendering by Paseo Corridor Constructors)

[…]

Miscellaneous

ADSC 2008 Faculty Workshop Wrapup

June 18, 2008 rockman Comments Off on ADSC 2008 Faculty Workshop Wrapup

Robert Thompson of Dan Brown and Associates has posted a wrapup of the 2008 ADSC Faculty Workshop. They had 20 Civil Engineering faculty attend the event. The field demonstration day was hosted by DBA at the Trial’s Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. Apparently that site is Dan’s hobby. Read more about the workshop itself and also read Robert’s post about the field demonstration day including photos. In the photo at right (Robert Thompson, DBA) you can see the Statnamic test setup for a drilled shaft. A little more about the event:

Long Foundation and Hayward Baker have installed examples of several foundation and retaining structures, including drilled shafts, micropiles, and soil nails. During the field day demonstrations, the attendees will observe additional installations, load tests, and non-destructive testing.

[…]

Press Releases

TenCate opens new factory in China for the growing geosynthetic market

June 16, 2008 rockman Comments Off on TenCate opens new factory in China for the growing geosynthetic market

Royal Ten Cate
Almelo, The Netherlands, 13 June 2008

Today marks the opening by Royal Ten Cate (Koninklijke Ten Cate nv) of its new factory for geosynthetic materials near the city of Zhuhai (pop. 1.5 m) in Guangdong province, China. TenCate Geosynthetics will use this plant to produce textiles for the strongly growing Asian market. The initial workforce will number some 150. [Editor] (At left: TenCate Mirafi® N-Series non-woven geotextile.) Click through for the rest of the press release. Source: Geosynthetica. [/Editor]

[…]

Press Releases

New DT80G and DT85G Geotechnical Data Loggers

June 16, 2008 rockman Comments Off on New DT80G and DT85G Geotechnical Data Loggers

Release date: June 3, 2008

We are pleased to announce several new products from dataTaker, the new DT80G and DT85G Geotechnical Data Loggers along with the CEM20 Channel Expansion Module.

[Editor] (Photo from Datalogger Inc.) Click through for entire press release. [/Editor]

[…]

Project Related

Devil’s Slide Tunnel, Project Updates and Geotechnical Info

June 10, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Devil’s Slide Tunnel, Project Updates and Geotechnical Info

Devil’s Slide is an infamous landslide along California’s Highway 1 or Pacific Coast Highway near Pacifica, just south of the San Francisco Bay area. Caltrans’ Devil’s Slide Tunnel project is an effort to bypass that slide and make the heavily traveled roadway safe for drivers and to eliminate the maintenance and traffic hassles caused by slope failures blocking the road. We first covered the project back in September of 2007 when the tunnel portion of the project commenced. In that post, you can find a Google Earth KML File showing the location of the tunnels and the new bridges associated with the project. In this post, I’ll provide you with some updated progress information as well as some background on the geotechnical and other aspects of the project. More links and videos are at the end of the post.  (Photo by Kim Komenich, San Francisco Chronicle). […]

Press Releases

Yucca Mountain Moving Forward

June 5, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Yucca Mountain Moving Forward

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission – No. 08-106 – June 3, 2008

NRC RECEIVES DOE’S LICENSE APPLICATION TO CONSTRUCT HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission received an application today from the U.S. Department of Energy for a license to construct the nation’s first geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nev.

“We are ready to get to work on this challenging review,” said NRC Chairman Dale E. Klein. “Congress has given the NRC a strict timetable for reviewing this application, and I want to assure the American people that we will perform an independent, rigorous and thorough examination to determine whether the repository can safely house the nation’s high-level waste. The NRC’s licensing decision will be based entirely on the technical merits.” [Editor] Read on for the rest of the press release [/Editor]

 

[…]

No Picture
Press Releases

AMEC To Acquire Specialist U.S. Environmental and Geotechnical Consultancy

June 5, 2008 rockman Comments Off on AMEC To Acquire Specialist U.S. Environmental and Geotechnical Consultancy

Plymouth Meeting, Pa. USA (June 4, 2008) AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, announces today that it has reached agreement to acquire Geomatrix Consultants, Inc. (Geomatrix) from its owner-managers for US$85 million. [Editor] Read on for the entire press release. [/Editor]

[…]

Miscellaneous

Dr. Jorj O. Osterberg – In Memorium

June 3, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Dr. Jorj O. Osterberg – In Memorium

Dr. Jorj O. Osterberg, inventor of the Osterberg Cell or "O-Cell" used for drilled shaft load tests has passed away at the age of 93.  According to the Association of Drilled Shaft Contractors or ADSC, he died peacefully in his sleep on June 1, 2008. The geotechnical community has lost a truly legendary figure in our field.

Osterberg held degrees from Columbia, Harvard and Cornell Universities. He was a Professor Emeritus from Northwestern University. He was a former Chairman of the Soil Mechanics and Foundation Division of the ASCE, an Honorary Member of ASCE, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.  He delivered the Terzaghi Lecture in 1985, and later received the Terzaghi Award.  He was one of the last surviving founding members of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Deep Foundations Institute and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Drilled Shaft Contractors. (Adapted from a bio for the 2001 Burmister Lecture, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University). Read on for more.

[…]